Ideas can strike at any moment, often when we least expect them. Like many, I find inspiration in the everyday, and one day, while explaining car logos and hood ornaments to my child, a thought sparked: artist-designed hood ornaments. Why should customizing cars be limited to vinyl wraps? Imagine hood ornaments as small, limited-edition sculptures – artistic expressions gracing the front of vehicles. These could be crafted from various materials: chromed steel, acrylic, resin, cast glass, even wood. The possibilities are vast, ranging from custom-made pieces to repurposed readymade objects. The context for artistic engagement is incredibly intriguing, a new canvas for creative minds.
This idea lingered until the arrival of the latest Artforum magazine, where Alison Gingeras’s remembrance of Franz West caught my eye. West, despite not driving, possessed a “crazy obsession with luxury cars.”
Alt text: Franz West’s Aktion PAR BLEU (Le Limousine Bleu) performance art, pouring pink paint on a Maserati Quattroporte, showcasing automotive art and car modification.
Gingeras recounted a 2001 performance in Vienna, Aktion PAR BLEU (Le Limousine Bleu), where West playfully poured candy pink house paint onto a maroon Maserati Quattroporte using a watering can. Further emphasizing his automotive fascination, West traded artwork for a vintage Rolls Royce, which he then “Westified.”
Alt text: Franz West’s customized Rolls Royce hood ornament, replacing the Spirit of Ecstasy with an abstract sculpture, demonstrating art from car parts and personalized vehicle aesthetics.
He replaced the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament with one of his miniature, suggestive sculptures – a brownish, abstract squiggle reminiscent of “poop and a penis.” West even kept a collection of these alternative hood ornaments in his glove box, switching them out daily to reflect his mood. This perfectly illustrates how people often view their cars as extensions of themselves, projections of identity, and how cars are marketed and perceived as embodiments of the owner’s persona. West’s artworks, placed at the forefront of his vehicle, subtly altered his interactions with the world.
Gingeras’s story serves as a compelling testament to this concept. Despite a lack of online mentions of West’s hood ornaments, the idea resonated deeply. I considered blogging about it immediately. However, Hurricane Sandy intervened, and the idea was temporarily forgotten. It was only recently, rereading Gingeras’s focus on luxury cars, that I connected it to the unsettling images of tree-crushed Range Rovers and submerged Bentleys in Sandy’s aftermath. The emotional connection to these vehicles, even in destruction, became apparent.
The concept of hood ornaments by artists, and more broadly, Art From Car Parts, taps into a fascinating intersection of automotive culture, personal expression, and artistic creativity. It highlights how we imbue cars with meaning and identity, and how artists can playfully and provocatively engage with this relationship. From customized hood ornaments to entire sculptures crafted from salvaged auto components, the realm of art from car parts offers endless possibilities for innovation and artistic exploration.
